[CVCC] Fw: [PVRC] PVRC Forfeits the 2006 ARRL Sweepstakes Competition

[Robert Morris]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "James Nitzberg" <wx3b at yahoo.com>
To: <pvrc at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 8:53 AM
Subject: [PVRC] PVRC Forfeits the 2006 ARRL Sweepstakes Competition


Dear PVRC Members and Friends:

It is with a heavy heart that I must announce our
Forfeit of the 2006 ARRL Sweepstakes competition and
Gavel.

This is a decision that I take very seriously, as so
many of you poured your heart and soul into this great
competitive event.

You can rest assured that your entire team of
Officers, along with the PVRC board of Trustees, has
carefully weighted this decision, discussed and
deliberated for several days about it, and voted (8 to
4) in favor of forfeiting our Sweepstakes victory.

We decided this was the best course of action
consistent with our high ethical standards as one of
the finest unlimited contesting clubs.

PVRC completed the 2006 ARRL Sweepstakes Competition
with the largest turnout of operators in our history.
 Upon close examination of our participants, however,
there was measurable activity that occurred from areas
that were clearly beyond any 350 diameter ARRL
competition boundary (175 mile radius) that
encapsulates our membership.

The ARRL rules clearly stipulate that all activity
must occur 175 miles from "a center".  Given today's
precision for measuring distances, we subtracted out
all "out of 350 mile diameter" scores and ended up
losing the contest by a wide margin.  This measurement
held even when we permitted a 5 mile margin of error
in our calculations!

It is important to point out that we were not
officially challenged or requested to forfeit; we made
this decision on our own after examining our
participation carefully.

We do, however, feel confident that had there been a
formal challenge, the ARRL would have reached the same
conclusion we did - that we lost the contest, when all
out-of-club competition circle activity was removed.

This is NOT the fault or responsibility of any PVRC
member!

It is my responsibility, as your President to make
sure that we are in compliance with the contest
sponsor's rules for unlimited club competition.  You
can rest assured that I will do everything within my
power to move our club forward, and position ourselves
so that we are able to confidently comply with the
ARRL's club competition rules.

I hope that when you reflect on this decision, you
agree that the delight of winning this competition
would be best enjoyed when playing the game fairly.

Please join me in extending congratulations to the
team that earned the 2006 Sweepstakes gavel: our
worthy competitors and good friends at the Northern
California Contest Club.

Sincerely,


Jim Nitzberg    WX3B
President, Potomac Valley Radio Club
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